Nutrition for Hadrians Wall - 88 miles in 4 days

First Of All… Our Reasons Why

Early on in 2020 we set ourselves 20 tasks/challenges to complete.

2 of them being a mental challenge & a physical challenge.

Amy and I put our heads together and came up with the idea of walking/running 84 miles across Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for a charity very close to both of our hearts.

And then COVID-19 happened...

We patiently waited for the government go ahead and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and complete our fundraising event! Initially we were meant to complete in November 2020 but ended up being May 2021.

We have both never done any kind of event like this before. The furthest we’d both ran is 10km together, so not only is it ticking our boxes for a physical challenge but a mental one too. We decided to raise money for a cause that is personal to us both and something we truly feel needs to be addressed…

Molly -

"It's a physical and mental challenge for myself, considering I've been through a lot with my knee having my 2nd ACL reconstruction surgery earlier in 2020. It's been hard not training to a high level and having something to compete for when I've been used to playing on the football field since the age of 7. I've also struggled with mental health and doing this to support a great cause and charity that help individuals who suffer silently gives me even more of a drive to do it. The Samaritans Charity is also close to my heart as my dad Stevo volunteers at his local branch in Newcastle and is someone I look up to as an inspiring selfless human being."

Amy -

"I've never really pushed myself to do anything as physical as this, but knowing I'm doing for a charity which has helped me in time of need gives me that drive to do it. In 2017, I had not long moved back to the UK after being a professional dancer for years and found myself very lost and in a dark place. I suffered in silence and shut everyone out. I remember when I rang the Samaritans as a last minute desperate plea for help, I was sure that my life was over and there was no point in me staying around. The Irish gent who I spoke with on the phone for over an hour genuinely saved my life, and I wish that I knew his name so I could thank him for allowing me to see that glimmer of hope within myself. The volunteers who work at the Samaritans are true heroes, and right now more than ever, I know there are thousands of people suffering like I did back in 2017. To bring awareness to this charity, to help those selfless people who truly help save other peoples lives - well it's a no brainer really isn't it?!"

Any Expectations?

We didn’t really know what to expect averaging 22 miles per day and therefore felt it was best to go in with a neutral mindset. This served us well because man it was tough! Who knew walking would be so draining?!

I remember walking through London earlier in the year and realised we’d covered 11 miles and felt so drained and tired. That was when I knew this challenge wouldn’t be so easy…

Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to plan training and nutrition months in advance as if I was coaching an athlete/client of mine.

Nutrition For The Event

We had a few things to consider: hydration status, weight load for carrying food/drinks, heat, clothing, stops on the way, availability of food and washing at Airbnb’s, energy availability, injuries and fitness levels.

Starting with the whole foods, we packed few sachets of oats, bananas, hummus, carrots, and a jar of peanut butter. We collected a few bits along the way, thanks Airbnb hosts for providing us with some yoghurt pots, bread and fruit, and of course my morning coffee that kept me aliveeeee. We also picked up some snacks from local supermarkets such as sweets and crisps along the way (no, performance nutrition doesn’t always have to be pretty and ‘healthy’). We ended most evenings with a pub meal where we definitely didn’t hold back! This consisted of a falafel burger and fries mainly! Anything to pack the calories in after a long day.

A lot of you may be thinking, surely not sweets, crisps and fries?! This was only 1 meal and 1 snack of the day alongside our other meals such as oats and fruit. You must remember, we were burning over 2000 calories from activity alone, not including our BMR for what’s needed to function. This means, we would need around 3,500 calories to be at a calorie balance, and to be honest, some days we probably didn’t even reach that! 

In circumstances like this, you must ditch the mindset of having only grains, fruits, and vegetables. High level athletes will surround most of their meals with healthy foods, but there are times when starchy carbs such as white bread, pasta and rice, and simple carbs such as jelly sweets, are the preferred choice as they have a quicker absorption rate. This is why timing, type and frequency is a main consideration when you’re dealing with Sport’s Nutrition and can vary depending on your training/event day and how active you are.

Carrying only 1 water bottle each, we were only able to drink 500ml water, and then a further 500ml mixed with our protein. 1litre would not usually be enough throughout the day, particularly when sweating. However, we made sure to have at least one pint of water when we woke up and one before bed to make sure we were still maintaining at least 2-3 litres throughout the day. We also got lucky some days when we encountered a supermarket or café to help us reach higher amounts.

Supplements Used

As a sport’s nutritionist, I knew the importance of fuelling our bodies with mainly carbs and making sure they were easily digestible. Fats and protein were still an important factor, but not a primary energy source needed when we’d be on the move between 6-12 hours a day. Therefore, I made sure to plan what things we could take that would be suitable and lightweight for us to carry. Supplements were a great effective tool in this case and were heavily involved during our event.

BEET IT SPORT:

We started taking Beet It Sport shots (who were kind enough to supplement us for the event) 6 days in advance. This consisted of a 70ml shot, containing 400mg of nitrate per day in the lead up, and then doubled on the 4 days of the walk (8 shots in total – 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon).

Nitrate has been well researched in the field of Sport’s Nutrition and has shown around 310-560mg of dietary nitrate 90 minutes before exercise can improve performance. It works by converting to nitric oxide in the blood after consumption, which then dilates blood vessels and makes it easier for blood/nutrient delivery, in turn improving endurance and recovery. Having it days in advance helps elevate nitric oxide levels already and prepare your body for a higher demand of oxygen required to working muscles.

Why not food first approach here? As always, we want to promote a food first approach, however in this circumstance, it’s not convenient or reliable to consume that much nitrate from vegetables. There would be too much fibre, potentially causing gastric distress and it’d be difficult to know the exact amount of nitrate in the vegetables, due to farming methods and loss through cooking etc. Also, I’m not sure how accessible it would have been carrying around a bag of spinach and grains in the heat…..

VIVO LIFE PERFORM PROTEIN:

Vivo Life is a company we have worked with previously and are very passionate about what they are trying to do to improve both health and the environment. So, we knew their products would be first choice for this event. Their perform protein is something we were already using to supplement our diet and therefore chose to have 1 scoop each day on the event to promote our recovery and refuel us optimally. Some of the ingredients included:

-Turmeric: helps aid recovery due to the anti-inflammatory effects

-Maca: improves strength, stamina & vitality

-Hemp cold pressed protein & fermented yellow pea protein: easily digested & faster absorption rate which’ll help with any gut issues and aid recovery.

VIVO LIFE SUSTAIN:

Hydration and electrolyte balance - something not many of us think about when exercising and can neglect the importance. We’re all quick to jump on macros and body composition, but these less understood factors play a vital role in muscle contraction and brain function, which are the lead in any kind of performance/movement. Electrolytes are essential for basic life functioning, such as maintaining electrical neutrality in cells, generating, and conducting action potentials in the nerves and muscles. Sodium potassium, and chloride are the significant electrolytes along with magnesium, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonates. So, as you can see, water alone isn’t always enough, particularly when you’re sweating in excess and constantly moving in an event like this.

 Vivo Life Sustain was a great addition - we just added a small 5g scoop to our water and was super lightweight. Although on Day 2 we managed to slice the bag with a razor (can someone ask Amy why we needed a razor for these 4 days) so there was a lovely powder mess but managed to save most with an extra bag we carried. Some of the ingredients included:

-Coconut water: helps replace electrolytes lost in sweat.

-Baobab: aids hydration & energy boost.

-Cordyceps mushrooms: enhances focus & oxygen utilisation to increase stamina & endurance.

VIVO LIFE MAGIC HOT CHOCOLATE:

Initially, we planned to do the event in November, which in England would have been very cold!! So, we thought it’d be nice to have something warm to help with our shivering bones…. Turns out, we ended up doing it just before Summer and the weather was beautiful. Nevertheless, we still decided to take Magic Raw Hot Chocolate before bed each evening. It was the perfect end to a hard-working day and the beneficial ingredients will have helped our mind relax and negate any stress response our bodies were feeling. Plus, there were days when one of us was slightly snappier and more irritable – thank you hot chocolate!! The ingredients shown:

-Reishi mushrooms: helps to relax and promote deep sleep

-Ashwagandha: helps lower cortisol (strength and stress response)

-Cacao: promotes serotonin -the happy hormone!

-Cinnamon: balance blood sugar levels (will be up and down throughout the day).

Perform, Sustain & Magic - Vivo Life

It’s not to say these products were a necessity and proven to be effective throughout the event – we didn’t take any scientific measurements. However, I strongly believe they played a vital role in us completing what ended up being 88 miles due to extra walking to accommodation.

After the first day my calves were like lead and woke up thinking I wouldn’t be able to walk, yet carried on for another 3 days of 70 miles. By the last day, I could feel individual muscle fibres firing away, almost feeling the electrical impulses. In the past when I was playing football, I doubt I would’ve been ‘fit’ to play and probably would’ve been rested. However, it truly shows if you put your mental strength and combine it with appropriate fuelling techniques, your body will respond. Whether it was physical or mental, I believe they both helped us negate stress our body and mind were holding onto.

For any support nutritionally, whether its sport performance based or being healthier, please feel free to reach out.

Sending all the love,

Molly

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